FIFA has just released the new edition of the Global Transfer Market Report, its annual report providing detailed data on the global international transfer activity at professional football clubs around the world.
Key statistics from the men’s report:
- Spending reached a new high of USD 7.35 billion, 5.8% more than in 2018
- A new record was set with 18,042 international transfers, which involved 15,463 players of 178 different nationalities
- 80% of all spending on transfer fees came from 100 clubs combined
- Portugal had the largest positive net balance with USD 384.0 million, England had the largest negative net balance with USD -549.9 million
- More than one in every four transfers of players under 18 included sell-on fees
Key statistics from the women’s report:
- All-round upward trends, including the number of international transfers (+19.7%), clubs involved (+24.5%) and transfer fees (+16.3%)
- Almost 20% of all transfers involved a player from the USA, by far the most represented nationality in the transfer market
- The average contract duration has grown from 10.5 months in 2018 to 12.1 months in 2019 (+16%)